The Greater Bengaluru Authority (GBA) has promised to begin repairs on Bengaluru’s crater-hit Kanteerava Studio Road within two days, after commuters confronted the West City commissioner during an inspection of the damaged stretch on Wednesday.
The road between Surana College and Nandini Layout had already been in poor condition when heavy rain caused a large crater to open along one edge of the carriageway. The cavity filled with water, leaving a deep break in the road surface and disrupting a route used by regular commuters.
A video of the confrontation between citizens and GBA West City commissioner KV Rajendra circulated after the inspection. Vivek C, vice-president of Yuva Ghataka Bengaluru Urban and a regular commuter on the road, told the Times of India that he asked the commissioner about the delay in carrying out repairs.
Vivek said the commissioner responded rudely when questioned about the condition of the road. He also said commuters had repeatedly raised concerns about the stretch with different authorities. “The stretch has been in a terrible condition for years. Neither the corporation nor MLAs or MPs have managed to permanently fix it,” Vivek told the newspaper.
Rajendra said citizens’ frustration was understandable but objected to the conduct during the confrontation. He told the Times of India that he accepted responsibility for the road’s condition and would take action against an assistant executive engineer for failure in duty. He also said that public anger did not justify shouting at officials or falling on moving vehicles.
The commissioner said he had inspected the stretch soon after taking charge of the zone last year. According to Rajendra, the road had already been earmarked for white-topping, which restricted the scope for major interim repairs. He said officials were assessing the most suitable intervention when the confrontation occurred.
“We will take up work on Kanteerava Studio Road within the next two days, subject to weather conditions,” Rajendra said. The announcement establishes a short repair timeline, but the report does not specify the nature, cost or duration of the proposed work, or whether it will be a temporary intervention before white-topping.
Rajendra also said the West Zone office had not received any formal complaints about the road’s condition. Local commuters disputed that account, saying they had repeatedly approached various authorities over the deteriorating stretch. The disagreement highlights the gap between complaints made by road users and those formally recorded within municipal systems.
The latest damage follows years of reported deterioration on the road and comes as Bengaluru continues to face recurring rain-related failures on roads and other public infrastructure. For commuters using the Surana College-Nandini Layout stretch, the immediate issue remains the water-filled crater and the safety of movement along the affected carriageway.
GBA officials are expected to begin work within two days, weather permitting. The authority’s next stated step is action against the assistant executive engineer and the initiation of repairs on Kanteerava Studio Road.
